iPhone 5 users get an updated audio profile via iOS 6.1.4

Developers weren't seeded the update before public release.

iOS 6.1.4 has made its way through the tubes, but users looking forward to any kind of major feature updates should keep holding their breath. Thursday's update only applies to the iPhone 5, and it brings an updated audio profile for the speakerphone, which comes as a surprise to both end users and developers alike.

There are no other pieces to the iOS 6.1.4 puzzle—or at least not according to Apple's public release notes. The update was not seeded to developers in advance (unlike many previous releases), likely because it's so minor by comparison. It's possible that Apple's iOS engineers are too busy to apply much time to iOS 6.x updates, as they've reportedly been hard at work on iOS 7 to ensure it's ready enough to demo at WWDC in June.

That said, iOS 7 is expected for a fall release, so we wouldn't be surprised to see another update or two come down the line before then. Just don't hope for much in the way of features; it sounds like Apple is saving the glitz for September.

39 Reader Comments

My wife's iPhone 5's speaker died suddenly after the 6.1.2 update and when I took it to Sprint they said they were getting 'alot' of speaker's dying after that update and that something in the hardware was fried by the update.

They referred me to the Apple store where they fixed it under warranty and the Genius said that the update had nothing to do with the speaker not working, but this update gives credence to theory.

iOS is feeling stale to me. I hope iOS 7 is as good as its being hyped as. Those Galaxy phones are looking pretty nice I just don't want to have to deal with switching everything over. Also, I have a ton of money wrapped up in apps.

Apple needs a revamp comparable to Android from Gingerbread to Ice Cream Sandwich.

So they need to just skip 3 versions on their phones and put together a series of barely used interim versions only for tablets?

iOS is feeling stale to me. I hope iOS 7 is as good as its being hyped as. Those Galaxy phones are looking pretty nice I just don't want to have to deal with switching everything over. Also, I have a ton of money wrapped up in apps.

Apple needs a revamp comparable to Android from Gingerbread to Ice Cream Sandwich.

Of course, if you were one 90+% of Android owners, you'd never have gotten any updates at all. And never will.

iOS is feeling stale to me. I hope iOS 7 is as good as its being hyped as. Those Galaxy phones are looking pretty nice I just don't want to have to deal with switching everything over. Also, I have a ton of money wrapped up in apps.

In fact I was wondering since years why Apple never did to iOS what it does to OS X: Just add a few very visible visual changes with every major update so that people see something new and refreshing. iOS is nearly identical to what it was in 2007. Personally I don't care very much because I'm not looking for excitement in such appliances, but fashion and trends and newness aren't exactly unknown in UI-land.

iOS is feeling stale to me. I hope iOS 7 is as good as its being hyped as. Those Galaxy phones are looking pretty nice I just don't want to have to deal with switching everything over. Also, I have a ton of money wrapped up in apps.

In fact I was wondering since years why Apple never did to iOS what it does to OS X: Just add a few very visible visual changes with every major update so that people see something new and refreshing. iOS is nearly identical to what it was in 2007. Personally I don't care very much because I'm not looking for excitement in such appliances, but fashion and trends and newness aren't exactly unknown in UI-land.

There're only little changes in OS X, but visually it's fairly obvious if you compare older and newer versions. All the pinstripes are gone, brushed metal too, the scrollbars have changed dramatically, the Dock too.

There's a theory that girls like to change their look and to go after every silly fashion mainly to play a trick on men who are wired to be promiscuous, so that they at least appear to be someone new to men's eyes. I have no doubt that the very same thing works with UIs. Something new and refreshing now and then helps to keep you interested, even if it's just a haircut and new clothes on the same old body.

I have had audio problems with my iPhone 5. I suspect the issue is that there are several "audio volumes" in iPhone... One volume for headphones plugged in, one for docking, one for silent mode and and one for "neither"docked or headphones plugged in. It also separates "ring tone volume" from volume in apps such as music players.The iPhone gets confused about volumes and states quite easily. If you switch the iPhone to silent mode,the phone switches the volume to 0. Then when you dock the phone, it turns the volume up to play music (or similar). When you undock, the volume gets disabled (rather than set to 0) and you now have an inconsistent state where turning volume up/down, silent/non-silent, etc does not work. Your phone will ring audibly, but you can't hear application generated sounds(eg. Music, TomTom navigation directions, etc).I suspect this fix is required. This audio bug has pissed me off for a good 6 months, a d Apple and the "geniuses" denied the bug's existence.The solution is to re dock your phone and turn the audio up.

iOS is feeling stale to me. I hope iOS 7 is as good as its being hyped as. Those Galaxy phones are looking pretty nice I just don't want to have to deal with switching everything over. Also, I have a ton of money wrapped up in apps.

I had like $100 wrapped up in Android apps. Didn't keep me from jumping to iPhone. I have maybe $50 to $100 in iPhone apps...and that's not going to stop me from swapping back if I feel the need.

I have just a handful of real utilities that I paid significant amounts for. I have some games, but honestly I'd not miss most that much if I lost them. I guess what I'm saying is lock-in only works if you let it. If you can afford a smartphone, you can probably afford to repurchase apps.

iOS is feeling stale to me. I hope iOS 7 is as good as its being hyped as. Those Galaxy phones are looking pretty nice I just don't want to have to deal with switching everything over. Also, I have a ton of money wrapped up in apps.

In fact I was wondering since years why Apple never did to iOS what it does to OS X: Just add a few very visible visual changes with every major update so that people see something new and refreshing. iOS is nearly identical to what it was in 2007. Personally I don't care very much because I'm not looking for excitement in such appliances, but fashion and trends and newness aren't exactly unknown in UI-land.

The joys of owning an iPhone. You can update your phone as soon as Apple releases the update.

This is exactly what I was thinking after reading this article, going into settings>software update and seeing this update there. If I where still on Windows phone I'd be lurking on forums right now trying to figure out which carrier the updates are being pushed by and if there is any method to force the update,

iOS is feeling stale to me. I hope iOS 7 is as good as its being hyped as. Those Galaxy phones are looking pretty nice I just don't want to have to deal with switching everything over. Also, I have a ton of money wrapped up in apps.

Apple needs a revamp comparable to Android from Gingerbread to Ice Cream Sandwich.

While he's at it, Jony should copy the Android version situation that Mr. Rubin left for Sundar Pichai to deal with: only half of the extant iPhones would run iOS7.

Since Apple has assured users that carriers won't get in the way, there'll have to be a better excuse. Perhaps a new breathalyzer module that stabilizes images in space regardless of motion sensors' detecting that the phone has moved, or that prevents you from drunk-tweeting, could prevent older phones from upgrading. Such an important feature couldn't be faked in software.

Ars could then host flamewars between the “Classic” and “Modern” iOS partisans, each calling out why using the other product indicates low class and/or IQ.

Unfortunately, as some posts here suggest, partisans of OTHER OSs would chip in their 2¢ about how both versions are inferior to (say) the CheezeWiz variant of B&N Forked 4.1.4, which the iOS folks would take to dismissing. The whole point of the posts would be … reduced … to … … pointless … … cross-platform…

The joys of owning an iPhone. You can update your phone as soon as Apple releases the update.

This is exactly what I was thinking after reading this article, going into settings>software update and seeing this update there. If I where still on Windows phone I'd be lurking on forums right now trying to figure out which carrier the updates are being pushed by and if there is any method to force the update,

If you actually did own a Windows Phone, then you would eventually become familiar with a well-known method of forcing an update regardless of carrier block. It involves disconnecting the internet connection about 3 seconds after you press a button to check an update on Zune. Not elegant, but you can sort of get prompt updates for Windows Phones if you tried. That's how I kept my Lumia 710 to the latest WP7 version, all the way up to the final update, 7.8.

So this is an Ars writeup (article?) with no informattion that we couldn't have gotten from the OS update promt/notes itself? I'm not complaining about it being Apple related (I'm writting this on my iPad, after all), I'm just annoyed at what seems to be a stream of fluff posts from Jacqui Cheng that never have any real content. I don't know if she's just not trying, or if it's a topic where there just isn't any more info, but either way, there's no need for a post/article about it. I'd like to believe that Ars is better than resorting to "link baiting".

I'm just pointing out that this made me laugh. With most Apple updates, calling them "notes" is generous, but this one doesn't even have a period. At best it is simply 'a note', but without punctuation I'm not even certain it counts as that.

So this is an Ars writeup (article?) with no informattion that we couldn't have gotten from the OS update promt/notes itself? I'm not complaining about it being Apple related (I'm writting this on my iPad, after all), I'm just annoyed at what seems to be a stream of fluff posts from Jacqui Cheng that never have any real content. I don't know if she's just not trying, or if it's a topic where there just isn't any more info, but either way, there's no need for a post/article about it. I'd like to believe that Ars is better than resorting to "link baiting".

Would you prefer she wrote gushing advertorials about the latest piece of cheap plastic from Samsung?

The joys of owning an iPhone. You can update your phone as soon as Apple releases the update.

This is exactly what I was thinking after reading this article, going into settings>software update and seeing this update there. If I where still on Windows phone I'd be lurking on forums right now trying to figure out which carrier the updates are being pushed by and if there is any method to force the update,

If you actually did own a Windows Phone, then you would eventually become familiar with a well-known method of forcing an update regardless of carrier block. It involves disconnecting the internet connection about 3 seconds after you press a button to check an update on Zune. Not elegant, but you can sort of get prompt updates for Windows Phones if you tried. That's how I kept my Lumia 710 to the latest WP7 version, all the way up to the final update, 7.8.

Typing this as I update my other phone, iPhone 5...

It doesn't change the fact that one shouldn't need to go through all the voodoo and BS just to get an update. Honestly, if I'm going to shell out $1000 for an unlocked off contract phone then I sure as hell want to know that I can receive updates without idiotic carriers getting in the way of what shouldn't have any of their involvement. Carriers need to realise this - they provide me with access to their network which is the extent of their relationship.

I don't really understand the constant complaints that iOS is "old" or "stale". OS X hasn't really changed appearance-wise in 10+ years. It has been refined, sure, but the basic UI is still the same. same thing for Windows. The Windows UI was fundamentally same from Windows 95 to Windows 7. And when they did change it in WIndows 8, people complained, and there was a lot of confusion how to actually use it.

If Apple made drastic changes to the way iOS works, there would be a lot of confused users. And whenever I have asked what tangible things are missing from OS that competitors have, just about the only thing I have gotten is "widgets". Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if Apple introduced those in iOS 7, as something you can add to the Spotlight-screen (which is mostly empty these days). Hell, they could even make that an iPhone 5-only features ("because iPhone 5 has bigger screen, we can fit these widgets there....").

So this is an Ars writeup (article?) with no informattion that we couldn't have gotten from the OS update promt/notes itself? I'm not complaining about it being Apple related (I'm writting this on my iPad, after all), I'm just annoyed at what seems to be a stream of fluff posts from Jacqui Cheng that never have any real content. I don't know if she's just not trying, or if it's a topic where there just isn't any more info, but either way, there's no need for a post/article about it. I'd like to believe that Ars is better than resorting to "link baiting".

Would you prefer she wrote gushing advertorials about the latest piece of cheap plastic from Samsung?

The joys of owning an iPhone. You can update your phone as soon as Apple releases the update.

This is exactly what I was thinking after reading this article, going into settings>software update and seeing this update there. If I where still on Windows phone I'd be lurking on forums right now trying to figure out which carrier the updates are being pushed by and if there is any method to force the update,

If you actually did own a Windows Phone, then you would eventually become familiar with a well-known method of forcing an update regardless of carrier block. It involves disconnecting the internet connection about 3 seconds after you press a button to check an update on Zune. Not elegant, but you can sort of get prompt updates for Windows Phones if you tried. That's how I kept my Lumia 710 to the latest WP7 version, all the way up to the final update, 7.8.

Typing this as I update my other phone, iPhone 5...

It doesn't change the fact that one shouldn't need to go through all the voodoo and BS just to get an update. Honestly, if I'm going to shell out $1000 for an unlocked off contract phone then I sure as hell want to know that I can receive updates without idiotic carriers getting in the way of what shouldn't have any of their involvement. Carriers need to realise this - they provide me with access to their network which is the extent of their relationship.

If you purchased an unbranded Windows Phone, then you get updates right away.

It doesn't change the fact that updating is iPhone>>>>>>>>Windows Phone>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Android, but the carriers won't make the same mistake they made with Apple.

iOS is feeling stale to me. I hope iOS 7 is as good as its being hyped as. Those Galaxy phones are looking pretty nice I just don't want to have to deal with switching everything over. Also, I have a ton of money wrapped up in apps.

Apple needs a revamp comparable to Android from Gingerbread to Ice Cream Sandwich.

So they need to just skip 3 versions on their phones and put together a series of barely used interim versions only for tablets?

I totally know what you're saying with this, and the following is only of marginal importance. I felt it merited stating regardless. The fact is that Apple did use an interim version only for tablets with the launch version of then-awkwardly-named iPhone OS on the iPad. 3.2.x was the interim version -- 4.2 was the version which coalesced iOS across all devices.

While the iPad was stuck on iPhone OS 3.2.x, the iPhone and iPod touch received iOS 4.0 and 4.1, which included multitasking and other features. Somewhat interestingly, however, iOS 4.0 also included the ability to set backgrounds on the home screen and some of the features the iPad had since its release on 3.2.x.

In any event, Apple adopted the approach of segregated releases as well. It just wasn't as pronounced as Honeycomb.

How about Ars puts in a bot that, when people complain about emptiness of your posts, automagically reminds them that they are free to suggest OTHER topics that recent news have made <b>MORE</b> important?

So this is an Ars writeup (article?) with no informattion that we couldn't have gotten from the OS update promt/notes itself? I'm not complaining about it being Apple related (I'm writting this on my iPad, after all), I'm just annoyed at what seems to be a stream of fluff posts from Jacqui Cheng that never have any real content. I don't know if she's just not trying, or if it's a topic where there just isn't any more info, but either way, there's no need for a post/article about it. I'd like to believe that Ars is better than resorting to "link baiting".

Would you prefer she wrote gushing advertorials about the latest piece of cheap plastic from Samsung?

I'd rather nothing be written if there is nothing to write about.

There was something to write about: Apple released an update to iOS, which contains fixes to speakerphone-profile.

I'm still baffled how people take the time to click the headlines, read the article, and then take the time to write a comment where they tell how the article was "useless" or something. Why not just shrug your shoulders and move on? Why be such a negative ass about it? This is a fucking point release of the OS, what were you expecting, really?

If you don't like the content here, go to some other site. Boy, I'm already missing your insightful and useful contributions to this site!

So this is an Ars writeup (article?) with no informattion that we couldn't have gotten from the OS update promt/notes itself? I'm not complaining about it being Apple related (I'm writting this on my iPad, after all), I'm just annoyed at what seems to be a stream of fluff posts from Jacqui Cheng that never have any real content. I don't know if she's just not trying, or if it's a topic where there just isn't any more info, but either way, there's no need for a post/article about it. I'd like to believe that Ars is better than resorting to "link baiting".

Would you prefer she wrote gushing advertorials about the latest piece of cheap plastic from Samsung?

I'd rather nothing be written if there is nothing to write about.

There was something to write about: Apple released an update to iOS, which contains fixes to speakerphone-profile.

I'm still baffled how people take the time to click the headlines, read the article, and then take the time to write a comment where they tell how the article was "useless" or something. Why not just shrug your shoulders and move on? Why be such a negative ass about it? This is a fucking point release of the OS, what were you expecting, really?

If you don't like the content here, go to some other site. Boy, I'm already missing your insightful and useful contributions to this site!

I take the time because I don't liike seeing Ars, and otherwise excellent site, devolve into crap. I commented on the article. I was negative because that was the point I was trying to make. Writing an article about a point release for a single iOS product that had a single bug fix is absurd. I am not complaining that I lost time or that Ars has done some great injustice. I'm just commenting (this is the comment section) on the article. You don't have to like it, you can disagree with me about it, but how about you take issue with what I said rather than taking issue that I don't like the article?

I take the time because I don't liike seeing Ars, and otherwise excellent site, devolve into crap.

Pray tell, what is the "crap" here? Apple released an update to iOS, and Ars reported on it. And apparently that is "crap"? Um, OK.

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I commented on the article. I was negative because that was the point I was trying to make.

You went beyond that, you claimed that articles by a specific author (Jacqui) were crap.

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Writing an article about a point release for a single iOS product that had a single bug fix is absurd.

No, it is not. So I guess we at an impasse here. But I guess everyone should just elevate you as the arbiter of that is "crap" and what is not, huh? But then again, the article seemed important enough that you read it. So damn, maybe Jacqui should be a telepath, and know in advance what you deem worthy and not?

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I am not complaining that I lost time or that Ars has done some great injustice. I'm just commenting (this is the comment section) on the article. You don't have to like it, you can disagree with me about it, but how about you take issue with what I said rather than taking issue that I don't like the article?

Sure: specificly attacking a specific author is negative and stupid. Don't like her articles? Then don't read them, problem solved. I on the other hand value her articles, and read them if they seem interesting. I'm not compelled to read everything, and what's more important, I'm not compelled to whine if I do end up reading something which did not turn out as being as interesting as I had expected.

My wife's iPhone 5's speaker died suddenly after the 6.1.2 update and when I took it to Sprint they said they were getting 'alot' of speaker's dying after that update and that something in the hardware was fried by the update.

They referred me to the Apple store where they fixed it under warranty and the Genius said that the update had nothing to do with the speaker not working, but this update gives credence to theory.

My external speaker on my iPhone 5 died 4 months into owning it - 6.1.4 did nothing to fix it. Have yet to call Apple to deal with it (still under warranty tho).